The RoadM1
by cloud932
Summary: America fell after the war, as usual Britain followed suit. People died in the streets, the roads full of the dead creating effectively urban graveyards. The North says salvation lies South whilst the South says North is salvation.
1. Prologue Some Say

Prologue-Some Say

' Some people used to say the worst thing you could ever see was a parent's the sheer force of it could destroy cities,move mountains or take apart for those without children their grief was no less vengeful. Many times it could be grief is commonplace something you see on a day to day one single thing that can still cause people to have that shiver down their cold only thing that can still cause that is here insanity can cause the most rational people to do savage inhuman themselves into here...insanity is catching.'

It was the noise that awoke the two boys. One inside a tent the other sat outside it. He cursed to himself for falling asleep and ran his hand through his hair. He could feel the grit in it. It had been a long time since it had been washed. It had been a long time since either of the boys had had a wash. Sheathing the knife he had been brandishing into a makeshift leather pouch on his belt he lent into the tent.

"Si wake up! Car!" He hissed to the boy just coming out of his slumber. Si gave a groggy mutter to the boy before crawling out the tent.

"We need to get moving now,pack up your stuff leave the tent."

The boy started scrambling his possessions whilst Si did the same. The noise grew louder. There was no mistaking it now. It was a car. Not good. Dead leaves crunched under the weight of something approaching. The breaking leaves were the only noise that permeated the otherwise silent forest surrounding the two boys. Si crouched next to the older boy looking at him fear evident.

"What do we do?" He whispered burning blue eyes filling with tears.

"Stay quiet and don't make a noise." Came the reply.

"But he could help us!" With that Si ran from the edge of the tent towards the noise.

"Shit! Si get here now!" Si had already burst through the ash coated bushes into the side of a well built man. Si looked at the man. Early thirties with dark eyes. Ragged hair matted with dirt. Hunting jacket and jeans on. A rifle too. He whimpered as the man looked at him and smiled showing his lack of teeth. The teeth that remained had long since rotted.

"What do we have here? You lost son?" Even though it was an innocent enough question something about it unsettled Si. He shook his head before crawling backwards towards the undergrowth of the forest. He had come onto the remains of a main road. The cement had cracked a while ago but it was still usable. The only indication there was something wrong with it was the amount of weeds that now stuck through the cracks of the now abandoned road.

Si had almost reached the edge of the forest before the man had caught up to him. He grabbed Si's ankle and lifted him with ease.

"Don't be runnin' off now. You'll miss dinner." The man snarled at him. The malice and intent unmistakable now. Fear pounded into Si. He was going to die and he knew it.

"DAN!" No reply. Not good. He tried again before the man covered his mouth. A pungent smell entered Si's nostrils and he almost passed out. He bit down hard and the man yelped before being tackled to the ground. Si saw a flash of dirty black hair before Dan and his captor tumbled into the undergrowth. The noises he could hear were more leaves breaking and the occasional grunt from either of the men. Then it came. The sound of a fist hitting flesh. Again and again it repeated. Another yelp followed by a loud crack. Si cowered not knowing who had called out with only the silence accompanying him. He could hear more leaves cracking and it was apparent someone was making their way back up. More fear hit him. If Dan had died he was surely next. He shut his eyes not wanting to see who it was.

"Never leave me again ok?"

He opened his eyes and saw Dan hunched slightly at the edge of the road. His hair and face were covered in blood. The once pristine shirt he had on had turned a mixture of dirt brown and blood red. He'd been hurt. He was clutching his side. Dan had been hurt because of his slip up. Tears formed in his eyes and he nodded. They started to fall. He ran to Dan before hugging his brother tight sobbing softly.

'Few of the values of the Old World remain. First went faith followed by trust. Not long after most humane notions got lost. Money was the last thing to go as is always the case. People clung to it like it still mattered until they realised if they had the firepower they could get anything they desired.

Only love remained. Not the love portrayed from tales of old. Where the hero fought off dozens of evil doers for his love but love in its most simplest form. It drove people to do horrible things. To kill another human so their family could eat. Others less horrible. They killed to protect their loved ones from the monsters humanity had become. Finally there were the few that did amazing things for love. Two boys one not even a teenager the other barely a man. Bonded by love. Driven by the need to find their older brother. The obstacles that presented themselves meant nothing. As long as they were side by side not even the fires in the distance could halt their journey. Travelling since the bombs dropped the older brother had raised his sibling in the remains of this world. Not once did they even believe their eldest brother could be dead. Love had never died for them. Love...and hope."


	2. Chapter 1 Breathing Smoke

Ch 1-Breathing Smoke

It had been a fortnight since their encounter with the man on the road. Since then they had barely spoke. Si had started to believe it had affected his brother. He knew Dan had killed before to protect him but that had been the closest he'd ever come to seeing him kill someone. He found it hard to see his brother in the same way. He was no longer the paragon of virtue he had been to Si. To him he was another Chaser waiting to happen. Dan of course knew his brother had changed his outlook. In all truth if Si's view hadn't changed he'd have been disappointed in his younger brother.

They sat in silence in the clearing they had found. They'd kept off the roads and stuck to the forests. It was odd. In the dense trees it was almost possible to believe that the world hadn't caused it's own destruction. The only thing stopping it was the ash covering the floor. The dead trees. It was everywhere. Even the air. And the tension. Every noise made Dan stand alert. There wasn't any wildlife so any noise or movement could be another human. It terrified Dan. He sat back down and looked at Si. He had grown so much. He was starting to look like an adult. His face had started to thin slightly. His clothes had become rags long ago and he had outgrown them. The only thing in good condition were his shoes. Dan had made sure Si had good shoes even if he didn't. Here cold feet could be the difference between life and death. He couldn't remember what Si's natural hair colour had been but the dirt had turned it dark. Almost black. It needed a cut and a wash. He wondered what he looked like. It had been so long since he'd looked in a mirror. He knew he had black hair. He'd managed to keep it fairly short but still it must've looked a mess. He didn't even bother thinking about his frame or clothes. He knew his shoes were in an acceptable condition. Either way next time they reached a town he'd make sure they found some new clothes and shoes.

He realised he had been staring at Si and looked away. He lit a cigarette and leant back. One of the few comforts Dan had left. It wasn't like he had to worry about them killing him anymore.

"Dan?" Si asked almost tentatively. Dan looked up at him and nodded for him to continue.

"Is...is it actually neccessary to kill Chasers? Can't we talk them to be good guys?" Dan smiled at his brother. Throughout all this Si had always been his conscience. It was only recently though that this had become obvious.

"I wish we could. I really do Si." Dan breathed the smoke out watching the wisps in the air.

"But...they don't think like we do. They see a small child or even an adult and see them as food." He inhaled again letting the smoke flood his lungs and looked at Si's shocked expression.

"Does that make them evil?" His brother whispered.

"I guess." Came the answer almost nonchalently. Dan saw the confusion on Si's face and elaborated.

"What I mean is,to them they're keeping their families and themselves alive by killing right? To us the fact they could eat another human is beyond evil. To me it's unforgivable. To you? Maybe not so. But to them? It's just a means to an end. Understand?" Si nodded and Dan pushed himself up. He started to set Si's tent up before he heard his brother ask another question.

"What do you see other people as Dan?"

"Me? I see them in a few ways. Sometimes they're a danger. To me and to you. Others, I pity. I see them as prey for the Chasers. But every single person with the exception of you. Every person is a hinderence." He turned his back to Si and finished putting the tent up. Si kept quiet and gathered some wood for Dan. He placed them near the tent before clambering into the warmth of the tent. Dan leant over the wood and pulled out a zippo. It had been his father's. All he had left of him. He wouldn't let anything happen to it. The flame sparked into light and slowly burnt the dried leaves under the wood. Before long the leaves had started to burn the wood and Dan sat next to it. The fire warmed him up. It was going to be a long night. It had been a week since he had slept last. There was too much danger someone could come when he was asleep and take Si.

"Want to know what I see people as?" Came Si's voice. Dan leant into the tent and nodded. His brother was curled under some makeshift blankets made from plastic lining and scraps of duvets Dan had found.

"I see them as people waiting to be saved. Some are more scary than others but...that's just because everyone's scared now. None of them are beyond us helping them." With that he rest his head on the floor and closed his eyes. Dan withdrew from the tent with a slight smile. The first heartfelt one he'd had in a while.

The bus was late. Again. Not that Dan cared,he had SAT's to take and any excuse to get out of them would do. He hated the fact that soon he'd be faced with responsibilities,after his exams he'd have to choose which subjects to take for G.C.S.E's, it all seemed a bore to him. The atmosphere at the bus stop was stifling as usual. Kids running around,most causing some kind of havoc. He looked around and saw the group he called his friends. Dan discarded the wooly black jumper his school made him wear into his bag and set off to greet them.

First to see him was Sophie,he'd known her since primary,his partner in crime. She beamed at him and Dan ruffled the red locks that fell on her face.

"Hey!" She giggled before hugging him close. Rumours had recently befallen the school that Dan and Sophie were an item,all untrue of course but still, the evidence was hard to ignore. Inseperatable,always hugging or holding hands,closer than anyone else had ever been to Dan,it seemed the only thing missing was an actual relationship.

She smiled at him again and Dan noticed her eyes, they always sparkled. Blue like the sea,he always lost focus when he looked in them to Sophie's amusement.

"Stop daydreaming Romeo," came her voice cutting Dan's lack of concentration. "If you keep that up during your test you'll fail for sure." She gave him a wink before heading for the bus that had pulled up. She turned and smiled again.

"Come on Dan! Don't make me drag you to school..." She laughed,smiling that innocent smile again. Always smiling.

Shit. He'd been dreaming again. Always of the past. He hated himself for it. Dan cursed to himself for falling asleep again. Stupid.

The forest had gone quiet although the sun hadn't quite come up yet. It made no difference. It didn't provide warmth anymore. He noticed just how quiet it had gone and got up to check on Si. It was surprising he couldn't hear his little brother. Even whilst sleeping he was loud. Usually snoring. Dan stuck his head inside. No Si. Fuck! He crawled back out the tent. He couldn't have lost Si. Not again. Then he felt the barrel pressing against the back of his neck. Shit.


End file.
